


Roll With It

by PaintingWithWords (paint_with_words)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Characters Play Dungeons & Dragons, Character’s Name Spelled As Viktor, Chihohohoko2020, Dungeons & Dragons References, Fluff, Gen, Gift Exchange, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22314220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paint_with_words/pseuds/PaintingWithWords
Summary: It turns out that coaching and competing against Yuuri is harder that Viktor expected.  It seems like they have so little time to themselves just to be a couple.  How will Viktor handle it when Yuuri is invited to join the D&D group at the rink, taking even more time away from them?Written for the Chihohohoko 2020 Gift Exchange, in which we celebrate the anniversary of Viktor's 30th birthday.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 18
Kudos: 71
Collections: Chihohohoko 2020: Victor’s 30th birthday exchange





	Roll With It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LittleLostStar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLostStar/gifts).



> This fic is part of the 2020 Chihohohoko Gift Exchange! It’s for the wonderful LittleLostStar, who requested the following: Yuuri attempting to seduce Victor through D&D campaign, when Victor does not like D&D. I’m an old gamer and I’ve been wanting to do a D&D story for awhile now. I had so much fun writing this and I really hope you enjoy it!

Viktor sat down on the bench and began to lace up his skates. Yuuri’s ice time was almost done for the day, but his was about to start. He’d known it would be hard coaching and competing at the same time, but he’d had no real idea just how hard it would be- and not just physically. There was an emotional toll as well. There were days it seemed like he and Yuuri barely interacted as a couple at all. Yes, they trained in the same rink. Yes, they lived in the same apartment and slept in the same bed. But there were only so many hours in the day and most of them were taken up, in some shape or form, with training. It was the all-consuming nature of their lives as world-class athletes, something they’d both known going in. But, it left very little precious time for just the two of _them_.

They managed to carve out a little time for one another, going out for short, small dates when they could. Sometimes it was nothing more than taking a long walk in the park or gazing out at the stars from their balcony. Every moment they spent together was precious to Viktor and he treasured each and every one of them.

On the other side of the rink, Viktor watched as Yuri skated up to Yuuri and began chatting with him by the boards. Viktor smiled, happy to see Yuuri adjusting to life in Saint Petersburg and making friends, especially with his fiercest rival. Yuuri had figured out fairly quickly that Yuri was all bark and very little bite… or would that be all yowl and very little scratch, given Yura’s affinity for cats? The two of them looped the rink, deep in conversation, and skated over to where Georgi was just stepping out onto the ice. The three of them conferred until Yakov barked and sent them scattering like startled birds, Georgi to the center to start his warmups and Yuuri and Yuri scrambling to get off the ice and to Lilia’s studio for practice. Yuuri skated up to Viktor, wide-eyed and smiling.

“Georgi invited me to join their D&D group this weekend!” Yuuri said, breathless from excitement rather than exertion. Viktor blinked, completely taken aback. 

“D&D? Like...Dungeons and Dragons?” Viktor asked, barely managing to keep the disdain out of his voice. Yuuri nodded enthusiastically as he came off the ice and took his skate guards from Viktor. 

“Yeah!” Yuuri replied, practically bouncing. “They have a game group here at the rink that meets for a few hours every other week on off days. I haven’t gotten to play since I lived in America!”

“I didn’t know you played at all,” Viktor murmured as Yuuri slipped out of his skates and put them away in his bag. 

It was an effort not to frown. He knew Yuuri loved gaming—it was on his ISU profile, if nothing else—but he didn’t think it extended further than video games. Viktor didn’t mind: he’d gotten used to the online gaming sessions Yuuri had with Phichit twice a month. He knew that it was not only important for Yuuri to build new relationships, but also to maintain the ones he had. But to take on something new…

This time, Viktor _did_ frown. He didn’t even know Georgi played D&D, or that there was a D&D group at the rink. Had all this started while he was in Japan coaching and courting Yuuri? Or had it been going on all along and he’d just been that unobservant?

Viktor bit his lower lip and suppressed a sigh. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answers to those questions.

But there was no time to discuss things. Yuuri was trading his skates for ballet slippers and heading off to Lilia’s studio. And Viktor was due on the ice. He could practically feel Yakov’s eyes boring into his back and he knew it was only a matter of time before he got scolded for being late.

“I’ll tell you more after practice,” Yuuri said, leaning in to kiss him, a quick, familiar peck on the lips. And then he was gone, dashing off after Yuri to the other side of the building.

Viktor sighed. Was he going to lose even more of their precious time to something so inane and stupid as D&D? Judging from Yuuri’s exuberant reaction, he was. And short of saying something about it and sounding like he was whining, there was nothing he could do about it.

“Vitya!” Yakov howled. “Quit gawking after Katsuki like a lovesick schoolgirl and get on the ice!” Fretting, Viktor pulled his skate guards off and stepped out onto the ice. Today was going to suck.

* * *

Yuuri chattered the whole way home, excited about the prospect of joining the D&D group. Viktor dutifully listened to him and offered no comments of his own, trudging beside him in sullen silence. 

“Have you ever played before?” Yuuri finally asked as they rounded the last corner and their building came into view.

“Once, years ago, right before my senior debut,” Viktor muttered. “I was invited to play by another skater. He said there would be lots of role-playing, which I figured might help me with my artistry on the ice, but all that happened was a battle. One of the characters took a bad hit and the Dungeon Master said that he lost his leg below the knee. The player got really upset and argued with the Dungeon Master for at least half an hour while the rest of us just sat there doing nothing. I had no idea what was going on. And if that wasn’t already bad enough, the skater that invited me kept telling me how pretty I was and trying to hold my hand, so not only was I bored but I had to fend off unwanted advances, too.”

“Vitya, I’m so sorry-” Yuuri began, but Viktor cut him off. Yuuri needed to understand just how bad his one experience had been.

“There was only one girl at the game,” Viktor said. “She saw what was going on and offered me her nail polish, which I gratefully accepted. I kept painting my nails so I had an excuse not to hold his hand. He invited me back the next week and the week after that, but I told him I was too busy getting ready for my senior debut, which was true. Eventually he got the hint and quit asking. I never played again. I never saw any reason to.”

Next to him, Yuuri sighed and gave him a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” Yuuri murmured, soft and quiet, almost too quiet. “Dealing with people who keep trying to push themselves on you is the absolute worst. It’s no fun when the DM and another player get into an argument either, especially when you don’t know what’s going on. There’s a lot of roleplaying in a good D&D game, trust me. It sounds like you got stuck in a hack and slash. It’s not always like that and I’m sorry it tainted your view.”

“You know, you could join us, if you want,” Yuuri said, fishing his keys out of his coat pocket. “Georgi said you would be welcome to join us anytime. Mila started playing last month, so he’s fine with newbies. Yurio says Georgi may be a bit much on the ice but that he’s a really good DM.”

“Hmm. We’ll see,” Viktor said, even though he had no intention of joining the game. The last thing he wanted to do was give up part of what little free time he had sitting at a table and pretending to be something he wasn’t. He’d had enough of that to last him a lifetime. 

But as the day to play drew closer and Yuuri got more and more excited, Viktor began to consider it, at least in passing. Maybe he could try playing D&D again. Maybe this time it’d be different. Maybe this group was more mature than the one he’d briefly joined as a teen.

In the end, he decided against it, fearing he’d be bored and that he would actually hold back the rest of the players. How strange would it be for them to have him there, sitting in the background, just observing them? 

As it turned out, Yakov needed him at the rink that day to discuss aspects of his routines and to go over the video they’d shot of Yuuri a few days earlier. Once they were done, Viktor headed over to the small break room Georgi had commandeered for their game. It wouldn’t hurt to take just a little peek inside and see what was going on...

Viktor poked his head into the room, nervous and eager at the same time. Yuuri, Mila, Yuri, and one of the junior skaters sat on one side of the table. Georgi sat across from them, rolling dice behind his cardboard screens.

Everyone at the table appeared tense, eyeing their character sheets on the table in front of them. Several small figurines were in the center of the table, positioned so as to face a slightly larger set of miniatures—painted in matching shades of green and black—that almost seemed to loom over them.

“New round, time for initiative,” Georgi declared, looking up from his screens. Immediately, Yuri called out, “Spellcasting!” 

“Oh, this isn’t good,” murmured the younger skater. Next to him, Mila nodded.

“What are you casting?” Georgi asked.

“FIREBALL!” Yuri crowed, picking up multiple dice and shaking them in his hands like some kind of bizarre rattle. 

“ _NO!_ _Don’t!_ ” yowled Yuuri, shooting Yuri a look. “It’s a small enclosed space, three meters by three meters. If you drop a fireball in there, you’ll fry us, too!”

“Yuuri’s right,” Mila joined in. “That fireball’s going to come out of the room, come down the hall, and hit us!”

“So?” Yurio deadpanned, still shaking his hands. “It’ll take those orcs out in one blow.”

On the other side of his self-imposed barrier, Georgi shook his head, trying to hide the smirk slowly spreading across his face and failing.

“I’m pressing myself against the wall so I don’t get caught in the backdraft,” Yuuri said, mimicking the motion.

“You can’t tell what he’s casting,” Georgi replied. “You’re a rogue, not a spellcaster. You can’t tell one spell from another. For all you know, he’s casting magic missile.”

“Shit,” Yuuri muttered, nervously running his hands through his hair. 

“Okay, roll your damage,” Georgi said to Yuri. “The rest of you roll to save versus spell.”

“We are so fucked,” Mila muttered. The others at the table also grumbled as they began rolling dice. All except for Yuri, who laughed as he let the dice pour from his hands.

Viktor shook his head and ducked back out, disappointed. It was the same shit, different players. He’d seen enough. Hopefully, Yuuri had had enough.

But Viktor was wrong, very wrong. Instead of sending Yuuri packing like he’d expected, the crazy turn of events seemed to draw him even further in. Viktor listened, confused and bewildered, as Yuuri babbled about the game over dinner. He talked about how Yuri’s fireball had blown back out of the small room, just as they’d predicted, and left all of their characters a little singed around the edges, but none the worse for wear. 

“What was funny about the whole thing was that all of us only took half-damage, except for Yuri, and he was the one who threw the fireball in the first place! Once all the smoke cleared, his character was left standing in the middle of the hall, blackened and smoldering and smelling like burnt hair. He even had to pat a couple of hotspots out on his clothes.” 

Viktor nodded, picturing the scene. He did have to admit it sounded rather comical and like a case of instant karma for Yuri’s character, but it didn’t leave him with a desire to play. But somehow, it reinforced Yuuri’s desire to keep playing, and when the next game came up a couple of weeks later, he went without a moment’s hesitation.

If D&D had stayed confined to those few hours every other week, Viktor could have handled it. It would have been… well, not fine, but manageable. However, slowly but surely, it began to creep into their lives. One night after a game, while Viktor was making dinner, he peeked over Yuuri’s shoulder and saw him looking at dice on his phone.

“We had to play at Lilia’s house today,” he said, concentrating on the pictures of the various sets of dice. “Rolling dice in front of a cat is risky. Potya couldn’t take it and jumped on the table right in the middle of a battle,” Yuuri laughed. “All those dice were too tempting for her. She swatted my d20 off the table and her tail knocked the miniatures all over the place. Georgi played it off and said that it was divine intervention from the goddess Bast. Yuri’s character converted to Bast right there on the spot. Anyway, we looked all over the place but couldn’t find my d20, so I need to get a new one. The set’s incomplete now and those were my favorite dice.”

Viktor frowned. Was there no getting away from that damn game? There were so many little details… Although Viktor did have to admit that some of the dice Yuuri was looking at were very pretty. Some were simply beautiful, like the ones Yuuri had been looking at with the purple and blue swirls of color on every surface. Yuuri had told him that it wasn’t uncommon for players to have multiple sets of dice, one for each character. He said that Mila had recently purchased some that looked like rose quartz and had gotten a set for Sara that looked like amethyst. Viktor shook his head. It seemed excessive, but a lot of things about D&D seemed excessive. He went back to cooking and left Yuuri to his shopping.

He didn’t peek in on another one of their games until a few months later when Otabek came up to visit Yuri during the off-season. Viktor was taking a break from his workout with Lilia and decided to wander down the hall to check in on the game. Good-natured laughter spilled out of the room, piquing Viktor’s interest. Hopefully, there was actual roleplaying taking place this time. 

Viktor cautiously peered around the doorframe, careful not to disturb anyone. Yuri had a sour look on his face and was glaring at Yuuri, who smiled as he leaned back in his chair, looking very pleased with himself. Both Otabek and Mila were smiling broadly, clearly amused by whatever was going on. 

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough to drink?” Yuri spat. Yuuri shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. Was Yuri referring to the definitely off limits sugary soda in front of Yuuri? Where had that even come from? He would have to have a talk with him about that later...

“Not at all,” Yuuri replied. He turned to Georgi, almost smirking. 

“I call out to the barkeep for another round.”

Georgi nodded and rolled his dice behind the screens. 

“The barkeep nods at you and sends a barmaid over with your drinks.”

“I toss her a few coins and take a mug of ale and motion for the others to do the same,” Yuuri said, lifting his can of soda high in the air like it was the aforementioned drink. Both Mila and Otabek lifted their own beverages—a cup of tea for Mila and a bottle of water for Otabek—and nodded at Yuuri in thanks. Yuri’s scowl deepened.

“You keep this up and you’re going to be running on inebriation tables,” Yuri muttered. “There’s not a pole in this inn, is there?” He jerked a thumb at Yuuri. “We’ve gotta keep her drunk ass off of it.”

The smile on Viktor’s face slipped and fell. _Keep her off the pole?_ What in the hell was going on here? 

“No, no poles,” Georgi said, “but there are plenty of tables.” He rolled a die and smirked, then looked at Yuuri.

“Aiko,” he said, looking at Yuuri, “you’re feeling good. _Really_ good. You feel so good that you want to dance to the lively tune the minstrel in the corner is playing.”

“Shit, she’s been _charmed_ ,” Yuri hissed, reaching for his dice.. “I cast _Detect_ -”

“Chill, Yura,” Otabek said, putting a hand over Yuri’s and shutting him down before he could get started. “She’s not bespelled, she’s just drunk. What were you going to do, cast _Detect Magic_? If you start throwing spells around in here, you’re going to out yourself as a mage in front of all the townsfolk and with all the magic items we’re carrying, the four of us all going to light up like Christmas trees.”

Yuri grumbled, but said nothing more and appeared to settle down, at least a little. Unphased by this outburst, Georgi looked at Yuuri.

“As I was saying,” he continued, “you feel like dancing.”

Not missing a beat, Yuuri said, “I thump the table.” 

“It’s solid oak, dwarven make,” Georgi said.

“It’ll hold my weight?” Yuuri asked, narrowing his eyes and throwing a look at Georgi.

Viktor swallowed. God, he _knew_ that look. He’d been entranced by it in Sochi when Yuuri walked up to him and asked him to dance. He saw it every time Yuuri performed his Eros skate and seduced him over and over again. He saw it in the privacy of their home, on those nights when the last thing Yuuri wanted to do was go to bed and _sleep_ . And now Yuuri—his gorgeous, sensual Yuuri—was throwing that smoldering look across the table, in the middle of a D&D game, at _Georgi_? 

Oh no. _Hell_ no. 

He was about to say something and make his presence known, but Georgi opened his mouth and started talking again. Viktor was frozen to the spot.

“It’ll definitely hold you,” Georgi replied, seemingly completely unaware of the look Yuuri was giving him.

“Good,” Yuuri said, slipping into full Eros mode. He leaned forward and practically draped himself over the table. “I get on the table and start to dance.”

All of the other players laughed again, except for Yuri, who shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

“Roll against your dex,” Georgi said. “Make sure you don’t fall off the table.”

“Aiko has dance as a secondary skill,” Yuuri countered, resting his chin in his hand. “Do I still need to roll?”

Georgi nodded. “Roll anyway. Any pluses you’d normally have will be negated because you’re inebriated, so it’s just your unadjusted dex.” 

Viktor swallowed and gripped the doorframe as Yuuri rolled a single electric blue die across the table. As much as he didn’t want to watch, as much as he wanted to stop what was happening, he found he couldn’t look away. He didn’t want Yuuri’s character to climb on the table and dance, but he didn’t want her to fall off either. And Yuuri in Eros mode… no, there was no way he could look away.

Yuuri let out a breathy sigh as he picked up the die and looked at the result. “Made it,” he murmured, his voice pouring over Viktor like honey. Viktor licked his lips and pulled at the collar of his shirt with his index finger. Was it hot in here or was it just him? And how was it that no one else felt the power of Yuuri’s Eros? How could they be so _unaffected_? 

“You get on the table and dance without a problem,” Georgi said, grinning like a fool.

Yuuri chuckled and all around the table the other players made appreciative noises. All except for Yuri, who looked upset at the turn of events.

“Oh my God, sit your ass down, hag!” Yuri muttered. “This is not the place to do a goddamn bump and grind!” He gave Otabek a long-suffering look. “Do you see the kind of shit I have to deal with?”

Viktor pulled back from the doorway and headed for the locker room and a cold shower. If he stayed any longer, he’d go in there and pull Yuuri out of the room by the hand, find the nearest empty room, and have his way with him, right then and there. Yuuri’s Eros was too much for him to bear and they didn’t need to get into that kind of trouble again. 

* * *

That night, Yuuri told him about the game over dinner. He even went into detail and told Viktor about his character’s drunken dance routine on the table in the inn. 

Viktor remained silent while Yuuri spoke, remembering how seductive Yuuri had been. The cold shower had helped, but afterwards, jealousy had bubbled up within him, sharp and bitter. He knew he shouldn’t be jealous, especially of something so utterly ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it. It was just a game, a stupid game. And it was a way for Yuuri to connect with his fellow skaters. But did he have to flirt with them to do it?

“Are you alright?” Yuuri asked, a concerned look on his face.

“Yes, of course,” Viktor lied, giving Yuuri a tight-lipped smile. “Why wouldn’t I be? It’s good that you’re spending time with the other skaters, really it is-”

“Then why do you look like you’re trying to decide if you want to scream or cry?” Yuuri replied gently, leaning in. “Vitya-”

“I peeked in on your game,” Viktor snapped. “I saw the way you looked at Georgi when your character was dancing on the table.”

“I thought you were working in the studio with Lilia-” Yuuri began, but Viktor cut him off.

“I was. When I was done, I decided to see what was going on and I looked in right when that was happening. The way you looked looked at Georgi was…” Viktor took a deep breath, feeling ridiculous.

“It was what, Vitya?” Yuuri asked, that concerned look still on his face. Did he not _know_ what he’d done? 

“It was... well, very eros,” he finally managed. 

“Oh,” Yuuri said simply. Viktor looked up at him and saw Yuuri biting his lip nervously. So he _did_ know-

“Vitya,” Yuuri said, coming up to take Viktor’s hands in his. “I can promise you I wasn’t thinking about Georgi when I did it. I was playing a part, just like when I skate or have to talk to the press. At that moment, I wasn’t some nerdy Japanese skater named Yuuri who was sitting at a table, I was Aiko, a half-elven rogue who’d had too much to drink and was dancing on a table. That’s all it was.”

Viktor nodded and blinked, looking away. Logically, he was well aware that Yuuri was only playing a part, and he was right. They all played different roles, both on and off the ice. How many times had he set foot on the ice with the intention of seducing the audience and the judges with his artistry and skill? This was the same thing, only on a much smaller playing field. But, it still hurt to see Yuuri throw that look at anyone else. 

“I know, but it still feels strange to see you look at someone else like that,” Viktor said quietly. Now that he’d voiced his concern, it sounded incredibly silly. And he was more than a little embarrassed at getting worked up over nothing. 

Yuuri rose up on his tiptoes and gave Viktor a soft kiss. “I’m sorry I upset you,” he said quietly.

“So this character of yours… Aiko?” Viktor murmured. At Yuuri’s encouraging nod, he continued. “Aiko is female?” Yuuri nodded again.

“Yes,” Yuuri said, his tone softening and warming, “and, as you would say, she is very aware of her eros.”

“So I noticed,” Viktor replied dryly.

A long, slow smile spread over Yuuri’s face. Viktor knew that smile, too. He was quite intimately acquainted with that smile.

“I think your might have inspired her more erotic nature,” Yuuri replied, a slight blush spreading over his cheeks. 

“Really?” Viktor asked. “How?”

Yuuri took Viktor’s hands in his, folded them against his chest, and looked up at him through his lashes. Viktor could feel himself being to melt under Yuuri’s warm gaze.

“Well, if you’d never made me skate Eros, I would probably have never discovered that side of myself,” Yuuri murmured, his breath ghosting over the tips of Viktor’s fingers. “Without that, I never would have found the inspiration for Aiko.” 

Yuuri delicately nipped at his fingertips. Viktor hummed appreciatively and closed his eyes. He liked where this was going.

“Do you remember the competition between Yurio and I at the Ice Castle, the Hot Springs On Ice?” Yuuri continued in that same soft tone. Viktor hummed again. He wasn’t sure he trusted his voice right now.

“I was so scared of losing, that I didn’t sleep the night before the competition,” Yuuri continued. “Instead, I went to Minako and asked her to show me how to move in feminine ways.”

Viktor looked down at Yuuri. So that was what he’d changed. He’d always wondered, but Yuuri had never told him. It also explained why he’d looked so nervous and tired that day, poor thing…

“Originally, I was going to skate Eros as the playboy who seduced the most beautiful woman in town, then cast her off.” Yuuri said, lightly kissing the tip of each finger, one by one, his lips lingering over the tips just a little longer than necessary. Viktor took a deep breath. Oh, Yuuri wasn’t playing fair. He knew what that did to him-

“But the playboy wasn’t me, not really. So I changed the Eros routine and became the woman who cast off her lover instead. And then you told me to quit thinking about katsudon and to think about seducing you,” Yuuri leaned in close, his lips just brushing the hollow of Viktor’s throat. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” Yuuri breathed, sending delicious shivers through Viktor’s body. “When I was on the ice, I was _never_ thinking about katsudon.”

“Never?” Viktor whispered. Yuuri’s fingers were toying with the shorter hair at the nape of his neck, trailing over his shoulders and down his chest.

“Never,” Yuuri replied in kind as he pulled him down into an open-mouthed kiss.

Later, much later, as they lay side by side in bed sharing in the afterglow, Yuuri smiled as Viktor took his hand and entwined their fingers together.

“Do you think the invitation to play D&D might still be open?” Viktor asked. Yuuri rolled over on his side and smiled down at him.

“I’m sure it is,” he said, one lone finger coming up to drift over Viktor’s chest. “Why? Do you want to play?”

“Maybe,” Viktor replied. “But mostly, I miss seeing you.”

Yuuri leaned down and kissed him, sweet and warm.

“Them come play,” Yuuri said as he curled up around Viktor. “I miss seeing you, too. I would love to have you there.”

* * *

The next gaming session, as it turned out, was only a few days later. Since it was the off-season, everyone was trying to get in all the gaming they could while they could. Sara had even flown in a couple of days before to spend time with Mila. The day before the game, Yuuri sat down with him and helped him roll up a character, a process that took hours. It seemed overly complicated to Viktor, but if it meant he got to spend more time with Yuuri, he was more than willing to put up with some tedium.

Viktor felt out of place at first, a feeling he wasn’t used to. But everyone welcomed him, even Yuri.

“I’m gonna kick your ass, old man,” Yuri muttered, but there was no fire of heat to his words.

“You can try,” Viktor remarked, “but I won’t make it easy on you.” 

When everyone finally sat down at their places around the table, Viktor expected that they would start right away. But there was still a lot of hubbub, as everyone set up for the game. Mila lined all of her things in front of her. Her black binder was open to her character sheet, with two mechanical pencils and an eraser right beside it. Her dice—black with fuchsia numerals—were nestled in the center of her fuchsia-hued dice bag. Mila was a study in neatness and organization.

Yuri, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He didn’t have a binder or any pencils, or even a physical copy of his character sheet. He had a picture of it on his phone. His mismatched dice were in a haphazard pile on the table and he had a can of soda and a bag of chips from the convenience store next to him. 

Yuuri had moved his things so there were right in between the two of them so they could share. Mila thought it was sweet, Otabek nodded and said it made sense, while Yuri said it was vomit-inducing. Viktor merely smiled at him. 

“Alright, everyone, before we get started, I have a little something for Viktor,” Yuuri said. His cheeks were so pink… He pulled out his backpack and hefted up into his lap. He opened it up and pulled out a small cardboard box, the same one his replacement dice had been shipped in. He set the box in front of Viktor and sighed, suddenly looking very nervous. 

“I know it’s not much, but, well…” Yuuri murmured, looking down.

“Could you open the damn box so we can play?” Yuri muttered.

Nodding, Viktor opened the box. Inside was a small bag made of lavender velvet. He pulled it out and smiled at Yuuri as he held it in his hand. He could hear the telltale rattle of dice inside.

“I got these a while back, hoping you’d join us someday,” Yuuri said in a small voice. “It’s kind of a tradition to get a new player a set of dice. I- I hope you like them.”

On the other side of the table, Mila was grinning excitedly and Sara was leaning on her arm, the two of them barely able to contain themselves. Otabek was watching with quiet interest. Yuri feigned indifference, but Viktor could feel his eyes on him from behind the fall of his long blond hair. Even Georgi was waiting to see what Yuuri had given him.

Viktor opened the bag and poured the dice into the palm of his hand. The opalescent dice were the same shade of lavender as the bag, shot through with deeper veins of royal purple. The numbers carved into the dice were painted silver.

They were the exact colors as the Stammi Vicino costume that he wore for their pair skate. Blinking back tears, Viktor marveled at the dice in his hands. They were beautiful and perfect, absolutely perfect. He looked over to thank Yuuri for the gift when he saw that Yuuri was pulling a small velvet bag out of his backpack, this one in bright blue… 

Yuuri opened the bag and let the dice spill out into his hand. They were the same color as his bag, with streaks of sapphire and silver numerals.

“They match your pair skating costumes,” Georgi said, dabbing at an eye. “A thousand experience points to Yuuri.”

“His character gets experience points for _that_?” Yuri sassed. Both Mila and Otabek reached out and swatted him.

“No,” Georgi countered. “ _Yuuri_ gets the experience points.”

“Congratulations, Yuuri,” Sara said. “I think you just leveled up.”

“Gross,” Yuri muttered, but even he couldn’t quite keep the smile off his face.

The game went well, with only a small amount of combat and plenty of roleplaying, and Viktor began to see the appeal of the game. It certainly didn’t hurt that he got to sit by Yuuri and hold his hand under the table all day. Viktor’s character got to interact with the other players’ characters and a few that Georgi played as well. He had no idea that Georgi had such a vivid imagination...

At the end of the game, everyone pulled out all their dice and gave a few to Viktor. Otabek said it was also a tradition and showed off the set of dice he’d received from his first game group. It was a motley collection, with no two dice matching at all, but that was part of the appeal. Mila and Yuri also had similar dice sets. Yuuri had a d20 that Celestino had given him when he started training in Detroit, old and yellowed with age, and a pyramid-shaped d4 that had once belonged to Phichit.

Yuri gave him a cream-colored six-sided die that had chocolate brown paw prints in place of the dots. “It’s one of my Potya dice,” he said. “I had them custom made, so don’t lose it.”

Viktor nodded and placed it securely in his bag. 

Otabek gave him a d6 as well, but it was black with white numerals. Mila and Sara gave him percentage dice, one in cornflower blue and the other in violet. When he rolled them, they rolled sixty-nine, which made Mila blush. Sara merely said it was a sign and left it at that.

“Gross,” Yuri whined again, only to get elbowed by Otabek.

Georgi gave him a green d20 and Yuuri gave him a blue d4. Later, at home, Viktor looked at his ‘new’ dice and smiled. It was a gesture of acceptance, a ‘welcome to the club’ gift, as it were. And he would treasure all of them. But even more, he would treasure getting to know his fellow skaters on another level. 

And if he got to see more of Yuuri’s Eros, well, that was just a nice fringe benefit.

**Author's Note:**

> As I said in the beginning notes, I’m an old gamer. The story about Viktor’s first D&D game is based off of my first experience. It’s a miracle I ever went back. Guess I failed my save, huh. ;-) Also, the fireball scenario? I can’t tell y’all how many times I had to deal with someone throwing a damn fireball into what amounted to a freaking _closet_ and my character (it always seemed to be the same one) getting burnt in the backlash. If you’re a gamer, you know what I mean. If not, ask a gamer. I guarantee you they have a fireball story. It happens so much that [this exists](https://www.etsy.com/listing/690087291/fireball-dungeons-and-dragons-game-dice?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=dice+bag+fireball&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1&sca=1)... and I want it.
> 
> Many, many thanks go out to [Louciferish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/louciferish/pseuds/louciferish), [Ronwyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ronwynblackshinobi/pseuds/ronwynblackshinobi), and [Sweetpea704](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetpea704/pseuds/Sweetpea704) for betaing this fic for me. Thank you all very much!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! Comments, kudos, and shares are worth their weight in gold, baby! 


End file.
